Automatic firearm.



BETHEL-ABIEL REVELLI.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION man MAR. 19. 1912.

1,1 59,417. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

ded@ 5c per MMM iTEn STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

BETHEL-ABIEL REVELLI, 0F ROME, ITALY, ASSIGNOR TO OFFICINE DI VILLAR PEROSA, 0F VILLAR PEROSA, ITALY.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BETHEL-ABIEL RnvELLI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Rome, Italy, Esedra di Termini No.

68, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a novel organic system of mechanical means adapted for constituting a portable automatic firearm, such that the ejection of the empty cartridge case and the loading of a new cartridge in the explosion chamber and also the closing of the breech and the re-cocking of the striker take place as a result of the mechanical effect of the shot fired and with-V out any movement whatever on the part of the flrer.

A breech bolt is employed which is similar to the breech bolt used in almost all ordif'nary military rifles and is provided with novel automatic parts capable of causing the breech bolt to rotate and slide in such a manner as to produce the desired automatic movements. It is, however also applicable to sporting guns and to carbines and pistols. Obviously it is not possible to t complicated and delicate parts to such firearms as this would render the use of the gun impracticable for soldiers and others; accordingly simplicity and strength of the mechanism are indispensable features.y

The invention is illustrated by way of eX- ample in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the firearm shown ready for firing. Fig. 2 is a similar section with the breech open after the shot has been fired. Figs. 3 and 4 represent the firearm viewed from the right hand showing the two characteristic means for closing and opening the breech bolt. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a device which permits of using the firearm for automatic firing and for ordinary repeating firing in preventing its recoil. This device is tted to the gun represented in Fig. 4. Figs. 6-9 show detail views pertaining to the ejector means.

The mechanism consists of the following parts: A receiver -afixed to the stock by means of two screws -fvwhich unite the trigger guard 2vand the magazine s as in an ordinary gun: J7the receiver is closed at the rear by a threaded cap -t in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1912.

ratentedivome, 1915. seria1No.6s4,72a

interior of which special recoil absorbing means -gare housed. On the left hand side and at the lower part of the receiver ejector means are arranged; on the right the receiver is formed with a longitudinal slot --afor the introduction and the sliding of the lever of the movable breech bolt; nally, al; the lower part of the receiver is arranged the trigger mechanism composing the trigl ger -gand sear -Z- pivoted respectively at -mand Jn/ The barrel -cis displaceable to the eX- tent of a few mm. only along the stock, its rear end being passed inside the front portion of the breech. At its rear portion the barrel carries counter stop lugs darranged in a dou'ble row and intended to afford support for the lugs -eof the breech bolt. A helical spring -rconstantly presses the barrel in the direction of the muzzle. An internally screwed ferrule -ZJ- retains the barrel against the receiver. A projection -won the barrel guides it rectilinearly in the receiver and prevents it from rotating.

The firearm further comprises a movable cylindrical breech bolt -o-, similar to the breech bolt of an ordinary gun, its head being provided with stop lugs -e-, arranged in a double row with the object of doubling the contacting surface of the lugs against the counter lugs and of avoiding protuberances.

At the right hand the breech bolt pre.- sents a long longitudinal rib which terminates in a lever -z'- upon which a leaf spring Jais fixed: this spring constitutes the automatic closing member of the breech bolt, because in striking against the upper face of the long slot in the receiver, it constantly tends to rotate the lever toward the right, which occurs every time the lugs -eof the breech bolt pass beyond the corresponding counter lugs -aZ-, `on\the barrel and consequently are afforded sufficient space to turn and lodge therein thus furnishing the necessary support for closino'. The parts can be inverted without affecting the invention or the principle of the device itself: in other words the pressure spring or the lever, acted upon by a special spring, can be fitted to the receiver and rendered operative upon the rib which forms part of the breech bolt. The knob of the lever -fiis preferably made of hard wood or some other light material with the object of diminishing the intensity of the shocks that this part is intended to experience, as a result of momentum at the end of the recoil.

rlfhe breech bolt is also formed at its rear with a helicoidal cavity -0- in which the detent lug of the firing pin is housed.: the point of the firing pin, as in all known military guns, is unable to pass beyond the head of the breech bolt and detonate the cap until after the breech bolt has been completely turned and closed.

A long cylindrical firing pin or striker F-cslides in the interior of the breech` bolt: this striker comprises a central stem -7caround which the helical spring -yis coiled. @ne of the characteristic features of the invention is that this spring serves simultaneously as a recoil storage spring and as the spring for the striker. lt is guided at its rear portion by a tube -.twhich forms part of the screw --tin which, during the recoil, the pin of the striker slides. At its rear lower part the striker carries a detent lug -W- which slides in a groove in the receiver and which guides the striker so that its direction is always rectilinear.

The trigger mechanism consists of the sear lmounted on the pivot -nf: this Sear is provided at its upper part with a tooth adapted to engage the detent lug of the striker, which is pressed by a spring, and is disengaged therefrom by the trigger #gturning on Sthe pivot -m-. The trigger is provided with a finger piece which is constantly pressed forward by the action of a separate spring: at its upper part it is provided with a tooth sliding in the horizontal direction. This tooth is pressed forward by a small inner spring and is retained in its travel by a pin which passes through a small horizontal slot in the tooth itself, the point of the tooth penetrating a notch" in the body of the sear. It follows that when the marksman presses the linger piece of the trigger with his finger, the sliding escapement tooth depresses the sear Z- and liberates the striker which springs forward. As soon, however, as the pressure of the lug on the striker upon the detent tooth of the Sear Z- ceases, the'pressure of the finger upon the trigger being continued, the trigger continues its rotation until the tooth, in sliding, moves downward (Fig. 2) and the Sear resumes its normal positlon ready to maintain the striker cocked. It follows that one' shot is fired each time the trigger is pressed by the linger. As soon as the pressure has ceased, the trigger rises and the sliding tooth passes over the notch of the Sear; in this manner the striker is cocked and the trigger ready for the next shot.

The safety mechanism 1s constituted by a lever zpivoted to the front of the guard, the upper end of which lever can be pressed .forwardand against, the sear so as to lock 1t in conjunction wlth the trigger; when the lower end of the safety lever is drawn rear- `ward by hand, it enters the guard and is thus merely to press the -foreinger forward in i order to bring the firearm into the firing position and fire.

The automatic opening of the breech bolt is effected by means of a lever v-fw-, pivoted externally to the right of the receiver (Figs. 3 and 4). rl.`his lever -wpresents at its front part a rectangular notch rear portion of the rib on the lever of the breech bolt is housed when the latter is closed and depressed into the position represented in Fig. 3.

vVhen the barrel recoils, the said rib strikes against the vertical arm of the lever causing it to rotate to the left in such a manner that the horizontal arm exerts pressure beneath the rib and causes the breech bolt to rotate and disengage the lugs from the counter lugs on the barrel and as the arrangement is such that at this same moment a residual gas pressure is still in the barrel arising from the shot last fired, this residual gas forces back the breech bolt which extracts and ejects the empty cartridge case and then returns forward under the influence of the spring 1 introducing a fresh cartridge into the chamber. At a certain point the thrust -of -the spiral spring ceases because the striker stops but the momentum acquired by the breech bolt is such that the latter continues its forward travel automatically and as soon as it has reached the end of its travel it turns and closes under the influence of the closing spring -hf. The marksman is thus notified that, for some reason, the barrel has not returned to its initial position.

The repeating mechanism is of the known type with the cartridges arranged in a single or a double row, desired, which is independent of the automatic operation of the firearm, and which can be varied at will according to the manner in which it is intended to use the weapon.

One of the improvements in the firearm consists in adapting its operation for ordior otherwise formed with one or more teeth..

in which the accordingI to the number cever, a movable breech bolt separated by spaces corresponding respectively with other spaces or teeth formed on another stop member, in such a manner that if a tooth is located opposite another tooth the barrel is prevented from recoiling so that ordinary single firing takes place; if, on the other hand, a tooth on the Sleeve corresponds with a space the barrel is able to recoil and automatic action is obtained (Figs. -l and 5). .In the said figures, is the receiver, -c the sliding barrel, -cthe sleeve or ferrule, c2- a projecting part 4Vserving-for rotating by'hand and c3- one stopping tooth in the movable barrel end.

It should be clearly understood that all the other ordinary or accessory parts can vary at the will of the constructor, 'ithout affecting the principle of the present invention.

Having now fully described my said invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, what I claim and intend to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. In an automatic firearm of the kind described having a barrel and means permitting said barrel to recoil for a short distance after discharge, a recuperating spring for partially advancing the recoiled breech bolt, means for arresting the action of said spring before the bolt is fully closed, and a cylindrical sliding and rotating breech bolt whose initial forward movement is effected by the action of said spring, and whose final and complete movement forward is effected solely by the momentum acquired during the said initial movement of the breech bolt.

2. In an automatic recoil-operated firearm, an axially movable barrel, a barrel extension formed with a recess,a receiver, a firing pin, a movable breech bolt formed with a lug and a projecting rib, a spring adapted to advance the firing pin and the breech bolt from their recoiled positions and a second spring fixed to the projecting rib and adapted during the forward movement of said breech bolt to exert constant pressure on a slideway in said receiver so rotation of said breech bolt and to effect the interlocking engagement of the lug thereon with the recess in the barrel extension at substantially the end of the` forward movement of said breech bolt.

3. In an automatic recoil-operated firearm, the combination of a movable barrel, a rehaving a project-ing rib and adapted to interlock with spring interposed between said said barrel, a

receiver, means to advance said rib and said the sleevei4 Sear, a lug .on said firing pin,

as to cause the.

alug projecting into the path barrels togrecoil for a short distance-after dlscharge` a spring, a cylindrical sliding and rotating breech bolt whose initial forward movement is effected by the action of said spring and whose final and complete forward movement is effected solely by the momentum acquired from the initial movement. means for arresting the action of said spring before said breech bolt has fully closed, a rotatable sleeve having a projection and mounted on said barrel and a project-ion on said barrel adapted to engage with the projection on said rotatable sleeve to prevent recoil of said barrel after discharge.

5. In an automatic recoil operated firearm a barrel adapted to recoil for a short distance after discharge, a cylindrical sliding and turning breech bolt' whose initial forward movement is effected by the action of a spring and whose final and completel forward movement is effected solely by the m0- mentum acquired from the initial movement, a trigger acting directly upon the projecting into the path of the firing pin on said Sear, and acting directly and a spring engaging an extension on Said sear to effect the immediate return to normal position after discharge.

6. In an automatic recoil operated firearm a barrel adapted to recoil for a short distance after discharge, a cylindrical sliding and turning breech bolt whose initial forward movement is effected by the action of a spring and whose final and complete forward movement is effected solely by the momentum acquired from the initial movement a trigger acting directly upon the Sear, of the firing pm, on said sear, and acting directly on said firing pin and a lever pivoted on the guard plate adapted to engage the Sear for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BETHEL-ABIEL REVELLI. IVitnesses:

DUILIO NARDONI, GANADO BARONI. 

